Electronic chipping to deter dog thieves
Published 14 July, 2008, 05:45
Russian dog owners are signing their pets up for a new electronic implant scheme to stop them getting lost or stolen.
The chip costs about $US 30 and provides an animal with a unique ID which remains with the pet all its life.
The information on the animal is then entered into a database, so it’s easy to match up a pet with its owner.
The system is designed to deter thieves who are increasingly snatching the pets in order to make money.
An expert on the process, Natalya Lavrova, said: “The chip is designed for identifying animals like cats and dogs. It’s a small capsule made of bio-organic glass – the size of a grain of rice. It gives an animal a personal ID.”
In accordance with a directive introduced in 2002, Russia's pet lovers must have their animals chipped to bring them into the EU.
Tattoos will no longer be used as they are considered to be less secure and make the animal suffer.
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